2017年6月英语六级第3套真题句子解析： Since there were few museums anywhere in Europe before the close of the eighteenth century, Grand Tourists often saw paintings and sculptures by gaining admission to private collections, and many were eager to acquire examples of Greco-Roman and Italian art for their own collections.

Grand Tourists often saw paintings and sculptures by gaining admission to private collections, and many were eager to acquire examples of Greco-Roman and Italian art for their own collections.

这是由 "and" 连接的两个独立分句的并列句。第一分句："Grand Tourists often saw paintings and sculptures by gaining admission to private collections"（主语 Grand Tourists + 谓语 saw + 宾语 paintings and sculptures + 方式状语 by gaining...）；第二分句："many were eager to acquire examples of Greco-Roman and Italian art for their own collections"（主语 many + 系动词 were + 表语 eager to acquire...）。两个分句各自具有完整的主谓结构，通过对等连词 "and" 连接，语义上呈递进关系：先说看艺术品，再说渴望收藏艺术品。

were eager to acquire

"be eager to do" 是表达强烈愿望或渴望的固定搭配，核心结构为 "be" 动词 + 形容词 "eager" + 不定式 "to do"。

"eager" 表示主语对某行为的积极态度和迫切心情，程度强于 "willing"（愿意）但弱于 "desperate"（不顾一切）。该搭配常用于描述主动性强、带有热情的意愿。

本句中 "many were eager to acquire examples" 完整呈现了该搭配的标准形态：主语（many，指代 Grand Tourists）+ were（be 动词过去式）+ eager + to acquire（不定式）+ 宾语。

可迁移的识别方法：看到 "be" + 表达态度/倾向的形容词 + "to do" 时，需判断该形容词是否与 "to do" 构成固定搭配。"eager" 与 "to do" 的组合已固化为表达 "渴望做某事" 的惯用结构，而非简单的 "形容词修饰主语 + 独立的目的状语"。

对比易混结构："I am happy to help"（happy 描述主语状态，"to help" 是独立目的状语，非固定搭配）vs "I am eager to help"（"be eager to" 是固定搭配，表达渴望这一行为本身）。前者重心在主语的心情，后者重心在对行为的强烈意愿。

该搭配的对立考点较少（无 "eager doing" 等常见误用），学习重点在于记住其表达 "强烈愿望" 的核心语义，以及在写作中用它替代平淡的 "want to" 来增强语气。